Watch CBS News

Police Arrest Man Accused Of Exposing Self On MBTA

BOSTON (CBS) - Police said they have caught the man accused of exposing himself on an MBTA train.

WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens reports

Podcast

Thirty-nine-year-old Abdel Hakim Rezzoug is charged with exposing himself to riders on the Blue Line on Christmas Eve.

According to police, when Rezzoug saw the picture of himself in the wanted poster, he told officers, "That's me."

WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson reports.

A passenger took cell phone video of the man, who police believe is Rezzoug, as he fondled himself while standing in the middle of an outbound Blue Line car around 5:40 p.m. on Christmas Eve between the Aquarium and Airport stations.

The same man is believed to have committed a similar act an hour earlier on a Red Line train near Park Street.

Deputy MBTA Police Chief Joseph O'Connor says the man exposed himself through a slit in his pants next to his zipper. O'Connor says this indicates he planned his lewd behavior and has done it before.

Rezzoug, who has resided in Massachusetts for five years, lives at a Department of Mental Health Facility in Roxbury. The manager of the facility told police that several staff members contacted her because they recognized Rezzoug as the man in the cell phone pictures in the media.

DPH case workers are recommending that he be evaluated by the Boston Emergency Service Team.

MBTA Flasher
Cell phone photo of the suspect. (Photo credit: Transit Police)

Rezzoug was arriagned at East Boston District Court Thursday afternoon.

His attorney says he has done nothing of this nature in the past.

According to prosecutors, he has numerous misdemeaner charges in South Carolina, as well as a warrant for failure to appear in court there.

The judge set bail at $5,000 and ordered him to stay away from any pubblic transportation.

He will be back in court Jan. 20 for a pretrial hearing.

WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.